Zaption

What is Zaption?

Zaption is a free online tool that lets you create interactive video "tours". How?

• find, upload or create a video (YouTube, Vimeo and more)
• stop the video at different points and insert your questions, text, images and links
• share your link to your video tour
• review student participation and answers to your questions
• and much more!

How can I learn more and get started?

• Want to see what a Zaption tour looks like? Try out one of the free public Gallery Tours
• View the Create a Tour: Quick Video Tour (4:18 min video)

What do I need to use Zaption?

• Computer speakers or headset (to listen to the video)
• Preferred: Latest versions of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox (for PC's and Macs)
• Only if creating your own video: a webcam and a Gmail account (not ConnectMail) so you can logon to YouTube
  • Need headset or webcam suggestions? Check out How to Choose a Video Recording Headset or Webcam
• Technical Requirements according to Zaption

What will my students need to view my Zaption tour?

Your students will need...

• Computer speakers or headset
• Preferred: latest versions of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox (for PC's and Macs)
  • Student can use any device except for Android phones
  • Can use latest versions of Internet Explorer and Safari
• Students don't need an account, but they can logon with their ConnectMail Google account
  • Students can create their own Zaption video tours as well

How do I create an interactive Zaption tour?

Here are step-by-step instructions:

• How to create a video tour with Zaption (PDF)

How do I publish my tour?

In order for others to see your tour, you must publish it. To do this:

• Log in to Zaption. In the My Tours area, click on one of your "Draft" tours (your tour icons state "Draft" or Published").
• On the next screen, to the right of the title, click on the Publish button.

How do I put my Zaption tour in Sakai?

In Sakai, you can make a link to your tour or embed the tour on a Lessons page.

OPTION 1: Make a link in Sakai to your Zaption tour

First, get the web address for the tour

• Log in to Zaption.
• In the My Tours area, move your cursor over one of your Published tours (all tours either state "Draft" or "Published" at the top of the tour icon).
• Click on the drop-down icon to the right of the word "Published", click Share
• The web address of your presentation is displayed. Highlight the full address and copy it.

Next, you can put a link to your tour in Resources, in Lessons, or almost anywhere else.

• In Resources
  • In the Resources area of your course site, click Add to the right of any folder and choose Add Web Link.
  • In the Web Address box, paste the web address you copied from Zaption.
  • In the Website Name box, type a name for the tour that will appear to students.

• In Lessons
  • On a Lessons page in Sakai, click Add Text.
  • In the text editor box, type some text that you want students to click on to access the tour, then use your mouse to highlight the specific text that you want to make into a link.
  • In the text editor toolbar, click the Link icon (small globe with a link under it). In the URL box, paste the web address you copied from Zaption. Click OK, then click Save.

OPTION 2: Embed (Display) your tour in Lessons

First, get the embed code for the tour:

• Log in to Zaption.
• In the My Tours area, move your cursor over one of your Published tours (all tours either state "Draft" or "Published" at the top of the tour icon).
• Click on the drop-down icon to the right of the word "Published", click Share
• Below the Embed Codes title, the code is displayed for iFrame, highlight all of the code and copy it.

You can embed the code in any tool that has a Text Editor.

In Lessons:

• On a Lessons page in Sakai, click Add Text.
• In the Text Editor, click on the Source tool button (it's on the third row of tool bars, far right).
• Scroll below all of the HTML code displayed; paste the Zaption embed code you copied.
• Click Save. The tour looks like it is too wide and centered, but it is important to display the tour as is-it expands a great deal when questions or other slides (elements) are displayed.

How do I check my student's participation and answers?

• Zaption provides a video and step-by-step instructions for how you can view your student participation and answers to your questions

How do students view or print their responses?

• Students can follow these steps after they complete their tour

Where can I find more info on how to use Zaption?

• Visit Zaptions's Help Center page
• Browse the list of Frequently Asked Questions
• Review Zaption's Knowledge Base
• Check out Zaption design tips:
  • Five Tips for Creating Effective Zaption Tours article
  • Designing Great Learning Tours article
• What is the difference between free Basic Zaption and Zaption Pro?
  • Quick overview of feature differences
• What is Zaption Presenter: It can be used in the classroom or online

Zaption *Tours* for Instructors (Zaption How-To's)

• Zaption Introduction: An Overview of Essential Features
• Zaption Analytics: Tips and Tricks
• Zaption Tips for Math Teachers
• Zaption Presenter: An Introduction

Zaption *Tours* for Instructors (Professional Development)

• Three Tech Tools to Better Engage Learners During an *In-Class* Lesson
• Screencasting: Where Do I Start?
• A Welcome to the Flipped Classroom
• What is Twitter Chat and How Do I Participate?
• 3 Rules to Spark Learning: A TED Talk by Ramsey Musallam

Advanced Tips

• How do I add Math Formatting to Zaption?
• How do I upload videos from my computer to Zaption?
• How do I make a copy of one of my tours? Only PRO users can copy their own tours.
  • But you can copy and paste elements (questions, images, text you've added to a tour) to different locations in the same tour, or to a new tour
  • You can find and copy public tours: How to Use Zaption's Gallery Tours
• How do I trim and duplicate video clips?
• How does copyright work for public videos used in Zaption?
• Is Zaption accessible?